Electric switch



Dec. 1'11 T1923. A. P. FAHNESTOCK ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 22

Patented Dec. 11., 1923-.

Y. w r s c ARCHIE P. FAHNES'EOCK, OF PLANDOBIE, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed November 22, 1921.

To all t 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, ARCHIE P. FAI-INE- s'roci., a citizen ot thc United States, residing! at Piandome, Long lsiand, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to switches ot the push button type tor making and breal-Iing the circuit of conductors.

It is a desic eratum in electric switch con struction, and especially where the switch is to be used in a location where it is subjected to vibration and jarring, that the conductors be securely gripped in a manner that will not be affected by such vibration or jarring. It has heretofore been proposed to employ a spring bindingpostof the type disclosed. in Reissue Letters atent o the United States lilo. 12,642 issued April 28, 1907. to John Schade, jr., for securing the conductors and the use of such posts have moved satisfactory in overcoming the dilliculties just adverted to.

The object of the present invention is to provide the advantage of a perfect and permanent electrical contact in small push button switch of the common circular type. To this end one feature of the invention relates to a proper securement o't' :ingr bindinc; posts. of the kind referred to, on the base board of a circular push button switch. .4 ..11other feature relates to a simple arrangement of the electrical contacts insuring an effective and durable electrical connection when the button is depressed.

To the accomplishment of the above ob ject, and such others as may appear from the 't'ollowinp; description, the invention comprises the Features and combinations or parts hereinafter described and then partic' ularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l. is a view, in plan, of a round push button switch in which the invention is cn'ibodied: Fig. 2 is an underside view of the switch; Fig. 3 is a view, in plan, of the base board and attached parts, removed; t is a view, in plan, of the base board alone; Fig. 5 is a central sectional view of the assembled parts; Fig. 6 is a View, in side elevation, of one of the spring terminal clips;

Serial No. 517,097.

and hi 7 is a tragmental section of the base board. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the switch is shown with wires attached, but the wires are not shown in Fig. 5 to permit a. clearer view of the parts.

in the embodiment of the invention illusrated in the accompanying drawings the witch comprises a housing 10 having a con 'ral opening" tor a button 11. and closed at its open s de by a base board 12. The base board is stamped from suitable insuiating material and is pi'inch'ed with holes 13 for securing screws, holes 14 for the terminals and oppositely disposed marginal slots 15 for the wires.

It is also provided on one surface with two pairs of protuberances 16 and 18 struck up from the material of the base board in the manner fully shown by i 7, the purpose of which will appear .mcr. The housing is provided with screw holes 19, as usual.

A pair 04? spring binding posts 20 and 21 are riveted at 22 and 23 to the base board through the holes 14. These posts are of the well-known Fahncstock type, fully disclosed in said patent to Schade and, therefore, need not be described in detail except to point out that the reversely bent end of the usual hook-shaped resistant member 24 6) is shortened to such an extent that a terminal *ire, bent as shown in Fig. 3, may be placedthereunder from above said hook by a downward movement relative to the post when the spring member of the post is depressed to project the hook through the receiving slot in said member. (See dotted lines Fig. 6.) The binding posts 20 and 21 are placed in parallel location, with their resistant members substantially opposite the wire-receiving slots 15 to facilitate connecting the wires, and their body members lying between and in contact with the pairs of protuberauces 16 and 18, respectively. The purpose of the protuberances is to prevent turning of the posts on their rivets, under adverse conditions of use such as hcreinbetore adverted to, thus insuring their required position on the base board without the necessity of an additional rivet or other separate means of SGCUI'QDIQDi).

A contact piece stamped from sheet metal, extending to the center of the base board, is secured to the post 20 by its rivet 22. A similar contact piece 26, bent to overhe the portion of the piece 25 between the posts is secured to the post 21 by its rivet 23. The contact piece 26 for us a leaf spring which underlies thebuttonll and maintains it pressed outwardly through its hole in the housing 10. It is within the scope of the invention to make the binding post and contact piece in one piece, it so desired The switch operates like any other push button switch a depression of the button causing the contactQS to engage the contact 25 and thus close the electrical circuit. through the wires attached shown in Fig. 3, to the binding posts 20 and 21 but the ads vantages over push button switch employing screw binding posts will be obvious to those skilled in. the art. The simplicity of construction, the ease in securing the terminals in place eliminating any winding of the wires, the absence of loose wire-securing partsv that may be lost, and the insurance of electrical contact under extremely adverse conditions, all-combine in producing practical perfectionin push button switches.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and its pref-erred form having been specifically described, what is claimed as new, is

1: An electric switch comprising a base board having marginal wire-receiving slots, a pair oi spring binding posts, riveted to said base board with their wire;gripping portions substantially opposite said slots, means to prevent the turning ofsaid posts on their rivets, two normally; separated contactpieces one extending from each post, and means for forcing said pieces into an gagement to closethe circuit.

2. An electric switch comprising a base board having marginal wiremeceiving slots I a pair ofspring binding posts secured to said base board with their body members in parallel relation and their resistant members substantially opposite said slots means on the base board to maintain said parallel relation, said body members being provided with extensions curved inward "to form con tact pieces arranged in overlying relation between said binding posts, and means for completing and interrupting the circuit by movement of one of said contact pieces 3. An electric switch comprising a base board, two spring binding posts and two overlying contact pieces securert to said base board by two rivets each. passing through a-post, a contact-piece and the base board, and means for causing relative movement of said contact pieces to complete and interrupt the circuit.

4. An electric switch comprising a base board, a pair of spring binding posts secured thereto with their body portions in parallel relation, and protuberances struck up from the material o-f the, base board at opposite side of said body portions for iinaintaining said parallel relation. i

5. An electric switch comprising a base board having i'narginal wire-receiving slots, two Fahnestoclr spring binding postsse cured thereto each having its resistant member substantially opposite a slot and formed with short hooked-ends to permit a terminal wire in, the adjacent slot to be placed thereunder from above said hook, means for maintaining said posts in fixeili position on the base board; contact pieces electrically connected to said binding posts, and means for causing engagement between said contact pieces to close the circuit.

ARCHIE P. FAHNESTOOK. 

